CEDAR FALLS - Northern Iowa's highly touted freshman class will quickly get acclimated with the best Division I men's basketball has to offer.

The Panthers, whose schedule for the 2006-07 season was released Wednesday, will play four NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago in their first eights contests, including a road tilt at Washington in the Basketball Travelers Classic on Nov. 14.

"Last year when we attacked our non-conference schedule, we had six guys back from the previous year and they had an understanding of what it takes to win on the road and what it takes to win big games," said first-year head coach Ben Jacobson, whose club will play 14 of its 30 games against teams that participated in postseason action last year. "This year, we'll have some new guys and we'll have growing pains as we go through it.

"I still feel strongly this type of schedule prepares us for the Missouri Valley, plus it puts our team in position for an at-large berth if we do well."

UNI returns three starters from last year's 23-10, 11-7 MVC squad in Eric Coleman, Grant Stout and Brooks McKowen, but several freshmen and sophomores will be counted on to play significant minutes, particularly in the backcourt.

Washington, which made the Sweet 16 last season and Jacobson expects to be ranked in the Top 20 to start the year, is the last of three games UNI will play in Seattle. After that, the Panthers open the McLeod Center on Sunday, Nov. 19 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which has also made three straight trips to the Big Dance.

Following a highly-anticipated tussle against Iowa State and former UNI head coach Greg McDermott in the UNI-Dome on Nov. 29, the Panthers travel to Bucknell and Iowa, both NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago.

The Panthers' non-conference schedule also includes home games against South Dakota State, Missouri-Kansas City and Wartburg, coupled with a road game at Loyola-Chicago.

The Missouri Valley Conference slate tips off with a home tilt versus Bradley on Dec. 27 and a trip to Wichita State on Dec. 30. Both teams reached the Sweet 16 last season. UNI will also have a rare Friday night home game against Creighton on Jan. 12.

"That's part of the fun of being in the Valley right now," Jacobson said. "When games like that pop up on the schedule, it adds excitement to our schedule, adds excitement to the Valley."

UNI's most brutal stretch appears to be in early February, with four games in an eight-day stretch. The Panthers play at Evansville and Indiana State before returning home to play Drake and Missouri State. The Panthers close the regular season with three of their last four on the road.

"February, our schedule, is very, very difficult," Jacobson said. "It will be important our young guys and new guys have improved and we're playing good basketball at that time.

"We'll be tested with those road games."

Contact Matt Coss at (319) 291-1468 or matt.coss@wcfcourier.com

2006-07 UNI schedule

(Game times not listed will be finalized in the next month)

Nov. 1 - Central, exhibition (West Gym)

Nov. 5 - Southwest State, exhibition (West Gym)

Nov. 12 - * Nicholls State (at Seattle, Wash.), 6 p.m.

Nov. 13 - * Pepperdine (at Seattle, Wash.), 6 p.m.

Nov. 14 - * at Washington, 9 p.m.

Nov. 19 - Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 4 p.m.

Nov. 24 - South Dakota State

Nov. 29 - Iowa State (UNI-Dome), 7:05 p.m.

Dec. 2 - at Bucknell, noon

Dec. 5 - at Iowa, 7:05 p.m.

Dec. 9 - Missouri-Kansas City, 7:05 p.m.

Dec. 16 - at Loyola-Chicago

Dec. 20 - Wartburg

Dec. 27 - Bradley

Dec. 30 - at Wichita State

Jan. 3 - Evansville

Jan. 6 - Southern Illinois

Jan. 9 - at Illinois State, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 12 - Creighton

Jan. 18 - at Missouri State

Jan. 20 - Indiana State

Jan. 23 - at Southern Illinois, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 27 - at Drake

Jan. 30 - Wichita State

Feb. 3 - at Evansville

Feb. 5 - at Indiana State

Feb. 8 - Drake

Feb. 10 - Missouri State

Feb. 13 - at Creighton

Feb. 17 - at ESPN BracketBusters, TBA

Feb. 20 - at Bradley, 7:05 p.m.

Feb. 24 - Illinois State

March 1-4 - Missouri Valley Conference Tournament (at St. Louis)

* Games are part of the Basketball Travelers Classic